Catch You
by artemis-nz
Summary: It was not Yuuri's best day ever. Conrad/Yuuri.
1. Part 1

**Pt1**

"His Majesty is wounded!" wailed Gunter dramatically. "Fetch help, at once! Oh your Highness, are you-"

"I'm fine, really!"

And he was. It was all a bit embarrassing, actually. He had been out for a morning run as was the custom, now. Sometimes Conrad went with him, but more often not within the last few weeks. War was the whispered rumor, the word that nobody really wanted to say too loudly lest it become more real. Conrad, Gunter, Gwendal, sometimes even Wolfram, who took his royal duties extremely seriously, were personally helping out on patrol some mornings.

Yuuri was positive that had Conrad been with him that particular morning, he would have been paying more attention. As it was, the sun that came up over his kingdom - _his_ kingdom, he thought with a thrill of awe and slight alarm - was so glorious that he simply wasn't looking where he was going. What tripped him up he wasn't sure, but in any case Yuuri found himself thrown headlong into a bush. A very prickly one, as it happened. At that point he had been thoroughly glad of Conrad's absence; making a fool of himself happened often enough without having to start off his morning with a clumsy moment.

The sun was warm - perhaps too warm - on Yuuri's back as he made his way back to the castle. Gunter, eyes as sharp as always, was quick to notice Yuuri's change in walk. Catching sight of his torn clothing and already forming bruises, Gunter's voice, Yuuri was sure, was carried all over the castle. For something that was his own fault in the first place, Yuuri was not eager for the attention.

"But Your Highness, you simply must get your wounds treated! Do they hurt much, are you able to walk, can you-"

"Gunter!" Yuuri made a valiant attempt at quieting Gunter down. "I'm fine, really. _Really_", he said, making his voice as firm as possible. "I only tripped, that's all. I'm fine."

"Oh, but-"

"Uh, I just remembered something I have to do... so, see you later Gunter!" The twinge in Yuuri's legs and shoulders didn't stop him from sprinting away from the scene as fast as he could. He heard Gunter say something else, but was in no mood to stop and go back to hear what it was.

Presently his run fell to a brisk walk. Feeling he had done far too much running that was good for him, he found himself back in his room. Wolfram wasn't there - Yuuri supposed the blonde was away on patrol duty again, and was secretly glad for it. Had Wolfram been there, he would only have drilled Yuuri on what had happened and followed up his interrogation by calling Yuuri a wimp. It was one thing Yuuri never really understood; Wolfram was a stickler for royal protocol, and yet that never seemed to extend to any actual respect for the royalty himself as far as Yuuri could see.

Were those footsteps from somewhere behind him? Yuuri quickly ducked into the nearest room, holding his breath. The footsteps passed by, and Yuuri saw he was in what he privately called the office. It was here he came to read - not exactly his favourite pastime, but he had been trying lately to learn as much as he possibly could about a whole universe which was in so many ways still very alien to him. Was it Conrad, who had once said something about learning history to protect the future? Yuuri hadn't really understood what Conrad had meant by that, but any advice Conrad gave him was, in Yuuri's opinion, invaluable. So he had begun to read, setting himself the goal of one book per week. If he kept on doing that, by the time Yuuri was one hundred he would've read... well, probably not even half the books in the castle library, but that wasn't really the point.

He sat down to read now, discarding the need for food. He was vaguely hungry, and yet for some reason the actual thought of any food nauseated him. He wondered if it was the heat, and made a mental note to ask Conrad sometime about the average temperatures.

Yuuri wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but it had grown hotter again when he awoke to his shoulder being gently shaken.

"Your Highness."

"Its Yuuri", he replied automatically, although a headache was making it hard to think. Conrad stood over him, a very slight frown furrowing his forehead.

"Are you all right, Your - Yuuri? Gunter has been asking after you."

Yuuri groaned, putting his head back down. "I told him I was alright..."

"Yes, that was some time ago now."

"Huh...?" Yuuri glanced out the window. Judging by the sun, it was now early afternoon. He had missed lunch, then. Gunter had probably nearly had a heart attack. "Oh. Sorry, Conrad, I didn't know it was this late. Maybe I should go find him..." He felt a little guilty for making people worry after him. He went to stand up, but for some reason his legs would not cooperate, and the room spun sickeningly. A firm hand steadied him.

"Your Highness?" The hand transferred itself to Yuuri's forehead. "You've got a temperature."

"I thought it was kind of hot today." Yuuri agreed. "I feel a little strange..."

The room span again even though he wasn't moving, and Yuuri didn't have time to do anything before he was bent over double, retching up whatever had been in his stomach from the day before. His cheeks burned; this was far worse than tripping while on a run.

"Your Highness!" Dismay, concern, support, all in those two words.

"Yuuri", he managed to correct. He was finding it hard to breathe. "Don't tell Gunter-"

He hoped Conrad heard him, because his voice even to his own ears sounded faint. He didn't feel any more after that other than being lifted him up, because the room went dark. His last feeling before things darkened completely was sheer embarrassment that he, the so-called Demon King, had fainted right into Conrad's arms. He hoped he had missed Conrad's shirt.

**To be continued**

_My first time at a Kyou Kara Maou fic, so I apologize for any OOC-ness. Reviews very much appreciated._


	2. Part 2

**Pt 2**

There were voices, only they were all muddled together so that Yuuri couldn't tell who was saying what, or even what was being said for that matter. He caught a few words here and there, but they didn't make sense to him.

"Fever... should call Gisela-"

But he didn't want to bother her, and tried to say so. He couldn't move. Why couldn't he move?

"His Highness shouldn't... perhaps since this morning-"

"Bruised-"

Someone sounded angry. Did he make someone angry? He hoped not - he was the Demon King. He was supposed to bring peace, not anger. Even his eyes were too heavy to open. Did his voice work, then?

"Fiancé-"

Oh great. When did Wolfram get there? Or maybe it was someone else talking about Wolfram. He really couldn't tell, and he could _feel_ the room spinning, even with his eyes closed.

"Should have told-"

Someone was still angry. It sounded like Conrad, only it couldn't be because Conrad didn't get angry, he was the calmest person Yuuri knew. Footsteps, echoing. They hurt his head, which he imagined might be on fire. Or was that his whole body? He couldn't tell the difference, and the voices were getting too loud-

"Conrad-" Yuuri managed to get the word out, and the voices stopped.

"Your Highness!"

_That_ wasn't Conrad. Yuuri would have groaned aloud if he could. Now that Gunter knew, he wouldn't hear the end for days. Possibly weeks.

"Look, if we'll all just..."

The voices faded again, softer and lower. Soon they stopped altogether. Yuuri was panicked for a moment - had he gone deaf as well as blind? But he could still feel things, because in a moment there was a cool hand on his forehead. He wondered whose it was - whoever was there was completely silent. Perhaps it was Wolfram. It would be just like him to insist that he alone should look after his fiancé. Or perhaps they had gotten Gisela in the end. Maybe throwing up meant he qualified as sick enough to need a trained doctor.

Great, and now he couldn't get that scene out of head. He would never be able to look Conrad in the eye again if he had actually thrown up on him, though Conrad would probably just be polite and not mention that at all. Then again, it could be some royal offence to throw up on someone. Because really, if slapping someone meant you had proposed and picking up a dropped knife meant you had to fight a duel, who knew what something like throwing up on someone meant. Yuuri's own thoughts made his head ache more - he twisted on the pillow beneath him, uncomfortable and unable to sleep.

"Your Majesty."

It _was_ Conrad. Yuuri was both relieved and ashamed. He couldn't reply though - there wasn't enough air. Someone should really open a window-

"Can you open your eyes?"

Could he? He didn't think so. He bit his lip in frustration. He was supposed to be the Demon King, not some dependant boy-

"Your Majesty!"

Perhaps he had been moving around for the voice to sound slightly... distressed? Surely not, not Conrad.

"Can you hear me? Just try to open your eyes."

The voice was insistent - it wouldn't let him slip back into sleep. With an effort, Yuuri opened his eyes.

The light was blinding, and Yuuri couldn't move his hand to shield himself. He moved his head instead, away from what he assumed was the window. He could only see a black shape for the moment, but Conrad got up at once and crossed the room, closing the curtains fully. Yuuri's eyes slowly adjusted.

"Conrad..?"

Was that _his_ voice? He wondered if his throat was on fire with the rest of his body. He couldn't speak again, feeling as if he had not had water for weeks. Even in the desert it hadn't been this bad.

"It will help if you drink this." Conrad held out a glass of something, and Yuuri could only gaze helplessly. Somehow understanding, Conrad held out the glass for him, supporting his head for Yuuri to drink. Whatever it was in the glass tasted disgusting and made him want to cough, but he drank it anyway, and Conrad smiled approvingly.

"That's it... better, Your Majesty?"

It was, because Yuuri's throat had recovered enough for him to protest. "Yuuri", he said, as Conrad put aside the empty glass.

"I apologize. Yuuri. You can go back to sleep now, if you'd like. The liquid you drank will take away some of the pain and also hopefully bring down your fever."

"Oh..." But he couldn't sleep, not yet. There was something on his mind, if he could just put his finger on it... "Wolfram and Gunter and... others, were here earlier?"

"Yes, Your- Yuuri. Gunter saw me carry you to your room, and very soon everyone knew you were ill. You slept for a time - it will be evening soon."

Yuuri relaxed again and sighed. He supposed he should be grateful, seeing as he was asleep when Gunter had found out. Wolfram too, come to that. He never had been someone who enjoyed being made a fuss of, especially when it came to something like this. He didn't like people to worry...

"Yuuri, I must ask - there are bruises on your legs, and also some on your arms and a few on your back. Where did you get them?"

"Bruises...? Oh. I fell..."

"Fell? This morning?" Conrad's voice was sharper, unless Yuuri's hearing was also inhibited.

"Mm... while I was running."

"Do you recall where?" There was something definitely wrong with his voice.

"I really can't. Somewhere... not the usual circuit we take... sorry, I don't know."

Yuuri tried not to think about it; it was already bad enough without Conrad having to worry about something so little as that.

Yuuri's head swam, although the aching had softened as promised. Whatever he had ben given to drink was working fast. The image in front of him blurred also; he wondered if there had been some kind of medicine mixed in with the drink to make him sleep. His eyes closed without him telling them to. He remembered now what it was he had wanted to ask.

"Conrad, did I..." Yuuri didn't manage to finish his sentence before the thought had been entirely voiced, and so he never did know if he had thrown up on Conrad or not.

**To be continued.**


	3. Part 3

**Pt 3**

"Poisoned."

"_What?_ Who would dare to poison _my_ Fiancé!" Wolfram glared, and only the fact that Yuuri was sleeping kept his voice lowered to what Conrad could only think of as a hiss.

"Not who, but what, Wolfram."

"What do you mean? Explain this at once!"

"Calm down." Gwendal's voice was as firm as always. "Conrad, we found these in our search." He held up some scraps of cloth. Before Wolfram could speak again, Gwendal continued. "You were right, Conrad. He fell, and that bush was likely poisonous. Gisela is on her way now."

Conrad nodded but kept silent, his worry over Yuuri underneath the surface and yet obvious to his brother. The tension in the room grew until it was broken by Gisela's appearance.

"Lord Weller, forgive my being so late. That bush His Majesty claimed to fall on... you're right, that is poisonous. If His Majesty got cut and the poison made its way into his bloodstream, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."

"You're saying you're just going to leave him to die?" Wolfram looked ready to explode, but Conrad held out a hand for quiet.

"How bad is it? Is the poison fatal?"

"No... that is, not strictly. It has been known to kill people with underdeveloped immune systems, such as small children or those already physically ill... but I'm certain it will not be fatal to one such as King Yuuri. However, there is nothing but His Majesty's own immune system which can flush out the poison on its own. I'm very sorry, but there's nothing more we can do but wait and pray for him to succeed."

Conrad sighed. "Thank you, Gisela. Is there anything we should do for him at all while he fights this?"

"Yes - His Majesty can use all the help you give him. He'll be unconscious now for most of the time until the poison is flushed out completely, but he still needs water. The sickness will sap his strength and make him dehydrated, so you must be sure to make him drink. His fever will also need to be kept down..."

She went on to explain, making sure Conrad knew all he needed to know. Even she looked concerned, her eyes large with worry. Gwendal escorted Wolfram out of the room; Wolfram looked as if he wanted to protest, but Gwendal's face alone showed that he would leave no room for argument. The door closed behind them. Conrad was left with Gisela.

"Lord Weller, one more thing... please don't be alarmed if His Majesty sleep talks a lot, or... you see, the poison induces dreams. Its a natural reaction of the body to the poison in the blood."

"I see. All right, thank you for your help, Gisela."

The healer tactfully left, and only the rain which began softly to patter outside broke the silence. Conrad sat down to wait.

* * *

_It was so dark. He couldn't hear, couldn't see, couldn't breathe. It was suffocating, like being sucked into some black whole. Maybe he would die here. Maybe nobody would ever find him. Life at the castle would go on as usual - soon enough things would go back to normal, and people would stop searching for him. They would forget, in time, so that it would be as if he had never existed. Yuuri stifled a sob. He could at least try calling for help, right? He wouldn't give up, someone would hear him if only he could call loud enough... _

_He took a breath that hurt his lungs, but he reasoned that he would need all that air to yell. But when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. Not a sigh escaped his throat, and he began to panic. Who could possibly help him if nobody could even hear him? Wolfram, Gwendal, Gunter, Conrad... Conrad... a noise. Finally, something he could say. If 'Conrad' was all he could say, then he had better call louder - the sound that had come out was only a groan, a pitiful excuse for a voice. Surely he could do better-_

_He summoned up all his strength, his body feeling ready to burst. He could do it, he had to make Conrad hear him-_

"Conrad!"

The voice startled him from where he had been half-asleep. He looked to the bed, but Yuuri's eyes were still tightly closed, his head thrashing one way and then the next.

"Conrad..."

He felt helpless, and the feel of Yuuri's forehead showed only that the King's fever burned higher than before. Conrad tried to wake Yuuri by calling his name, but to no avail.

"Help me..."

But he couldn't help him. He couldn't do anything. The rain outside was no longer a light sprinkle but a pouring, the sound louder than any rainfall he had heard for a long time. Thunder rumbled off somewhere in the distance. Yuuri's pendant about his neck glowed fiercely blue, making his skin look even paler by comparison.

Yuuri choked on the little water that Conrad managed to make him swallow, and even that unconscious effort seemed to tire him. He gasped as if he could not get all the air he needed to fill his lungs, and his body trembled involuntarily.

The hours passed, each one dragging out longer than the rest. Gwendal checked in once, seeing Conrad once again nodding off in his chair by the bedside. His own pile of papers that he had been working on as a distraction had not grown any smaller for quite a while. He had checked in on Gunter as well, who alternated between agitated pacing about the castle and frantically picking petals from flowers that had been arranged in vases, chanting a mantra under his breath. "He will get better, he won't get better, he will get better, he won't get better-" Wolfram kept to himself other than when he was watching Yuuri alongside Conrad, for once quiet and contemplative. Yuuri murmured Wolfram's name once or twice while he was there, which caused Wolfram to look first shocked and then oddly flustered. There was a hush over the castle itself, the maids and servants talking in lowered voices as if anything louder would cause a calamity.

"He must be kept warm", Gisela insisted when she visited again later on. The fever must burn itself out, and soon, before he becomes too weak to do it." Blankets were heaped on the bed, and Yuuri looked small and slight underneath the coverings.

Conrad read to keep himself awake. He felt slightly ashamed that try as he might, he could not concentrate, and could only wish for a book of more simplicity. 'Once upon a time...' Day turned into evening, and Yuuri's room darkened further. Candles were lit, and the rain itself drowned out the thunder. Conrad rested only when his body refused to stay conscious, and Gwendal relieved him for a few hours while Conrad rested.

"He's been calling out for you in his sleep", commented Gwendal when he returned very early in the morning. "I couldn't do anything." His voice was uncharacteristically subdued, lacking the force that was usually behind it. His frown was set deeper than usual. Conrad noticed a knitted animal on the bedside table.

"No", he agreed. "We can't do anything. We can only wait."

It was nearing dusk when Yuuri began to mumble incoherently again, and when Conrad grasped his hand it was cold and clammy, although his forehead still burned.

"Conrad... don't leave... don't let... no..."

His body twisted, face scrunched up as if in pain.

Very suddenly he shot up, and his eyes flew open.

"No!" he screamed, and Conrad stood over him, shaking him as hard as he dared to try and wake him from the nightmare that had taken hold.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Yuuri's eyes were fully open, yet they stared straight past Conrad, seeing something that only he could.

"Please, no!" He sounded as if he were begging, pleading. His eyes were dulled, bangs of his hair sticking to his forehead.

"_Yuuri!_"

Perhaps it was this that got the King's attention, for he turned and looked at Conrad properly, recognition on his face.

"I'm here, Your Majesty. Yuuri. I won't leave you."

"Conrad...?"

And his body collapsed, too weak to hold itself in a sitting position. Conrad's hands caught him safely, ensuring he did not hurt himself as he fell. But for the rain, the room was deathly silent.

**To be continued.**

_This is really not my best work ever, but I hope its still readable._


	4. Part 4

**Pt 4**

_The world was barren. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. The castle was lush, rich with colour and texture, pleasing to the eye. Even the desert had its charms; it was dry, but natural. There was colour, there was -feeling-. But not here. Here was totally barren. There was the sky, not blue as it should have been, but a bleak murky orange. It was like... he searched for a comparison... watered-down paint, or like something had been stripped from it, bleached. Something vital, alive. There were no stars, no moon, no sun. Light, but dull, not bright or vivid or any of those things which light should have been. He looked down. Dry, cracked rock. A cliff. He stood on a cliff, at the peak. He wasn't sure how he got there. Below, it was too dark to see anything. The horizon stretched out endlessly. This was a place of nothingness. He felt nauseated. Had he escaped the void only to come to this?_

_The world suddenly tipped from under him; the sky spun dizzyingly, and he was now dangling from the rock, holding on with only his fingers. They hurt from the harsh grip, which he thought was distinctly unfair - dreams were not meant to hurt. He supposed he should have predicted it when he felt his grip start to slide, but it panicked him all the same. What might hitting the ground feel like, so far down he couldn't see the bottom, not even the shadows? He would die. Would it be painless, over in an instant? Somehow, he couldn't imagine it would be. _

_Conrad had said he would protect him. But Conrad wasn't here. Nobody was. He had nobody, only himself. And he... what worth was he on his own? No, he would die here. He was alone. There would be no Conrad._

_"You have to let go now", said the woman. Yuuri gasped and looked up, but there was nobody there. And yet... there was. He could feel her there, a presence so different from the barrenness of the the place that he couldn't possibly have missed it. In a place utterly dead, she was alive, and more so than any person he had known._

_"You have to let go now", she repeated. He wondered where the voice came from - it seemed not to come from one place, but rather from all around him - or else from somewhere so far away that the voice somehow echoed. _

_"No... I don't want to let go!"_

_That was logical. If he let go, he would fall. He would fall and die, and then he would disappear. Vanish. He wanted to see his Mother again. He wasn't ready to die. Yuuri squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers slipping a little more. He didn't want to die..._

_"If you never let go, then you will never move forward", said the woman. Yuuri knew he had never heard the voice before. And yet, it sounded familiar. It made no sense. Things made no sense here. He couldn't stop the tear trickling from his eye. He was a wimp, just as Wolfram said he was. And, perhaps, just as others thought but were too polite to say so._

_"I can't..." he whispered._

_"Yes, you can", replied the voice. "You have to trust. Do you not believe someone will catch you at the bottom?"_

_Yuuri couldn't think. "Yes... no... there's nobody there!"_

_"If you believe that, then you must be right", said the woman. "You create your own reality."_

_"I..."_

_"Do you believe there is someone who will catch you?"_

_"..."_

_"Do you believe there is someone who will catch you?"_

_"Yes!"_

_"Then let go."_

_Yuuri saw her then, just as beautiful as he remembered. Or thought he remembered, as if from a dream or a distant memory. She would not lie... would she? But there was nothing else to do. He would have to trust._

_"Thank you... Julia."_

_He let go._

It had not stopped raining. For three days the downpour continued, and Yuuri had not moved again. Once or twice he had murmured things that nobody could understand. Names could be made out among the jumbled speech, his voice so soft that people were unable to catch more than this. "Conrad", he had said once, and "Julia".

On the third day he had said nothing at all, and had only lain there, face drawn and too pale. His breathing had also slowed and quietened. Gisela did not say anything, but her face turned almost as pale as Yuuri's when she saw him.

In the evening Yuuri shuddered, once, as if cold. A few moments later the rain had stopped, so gradually that nobody had noticed anything. When the rain had ceased completely the silence then seemed so natural after days of lowered voices that still nobody noticed. The clouds cleared away to reveal the moon, cool and white.

The door to Yuuri's room remained closed. Gwendal had once come with Wolfram, both unable to rest peacefully. Gwendal stopped before Wolfram would enter, however, putting his hand on Wolfram's shoulder.

"Brother-"

"No", said Gwendal, and his expression showed nothing. "They are both sleeping. Let him have his peace."

Whether he was referring to Yuuri or Conrad, Wolfram could not be certain. He allowed his brother to guide him away, however, and the behind the closed door, everything remained still.

Conrad slept. He dreamed, and when he awoke it was to the sun on his face, only just rising. He could not remember his dream - it scattered as he opened his eyes, water through clenched fingers. Something... a blue glow, a presence... but it was gone then, as if it had never been.

The breathing beside him was soft and even, and for a moment the sun let him see only a black shape lying in the bed. He moved closer, eyes adjusting. As quickly as he dared he put a hand to Yuuri's face. The cheek was smooth and cool, his eyes hidden behind closed lids. He looked... at peace. Conrad did not want to wake him, but he must have made a sound - he had moved, perhaps, or some other noise from outside which had woken the boy.

"Mom...?" he asked drowsily, his eyes still closed. Conrad realized that his hand was still resting on Yuuri's cheek. He hurriedly moved it up over his forehead.

"Not quite", he answered.

"Conrad. Its you, isn't it?" He opened his eyes slowly.

"Yes."

Yuuri smiled. "You caught me."

Conrad didn't have a reply to this. "Rest, Your Majesty", he said simply. "You still need your sleep."

"Oh. Alright..." His eyes drifted closed again.

Conrad thought he had gone back to sleep already, and was on the verge of getting up to let people know.

"Conrad... you will be here when I wake up... won't you?"

Conrad sat back down. "... Of course. I'll be here. I promise."

"Good."

"Please sleep now, Your Majesty."

"I will."

"..."

"Conrad?"

"Yes?"

"Its Yuuri. You named me..."

Yuuri gave a sigh and turned his face toward the sun, face relaxing completely. Conrad leaned back in the chair - a few more moments couldn't hurt. Just a little longer.

And he too slept.

**To be continued.**

_This has got to be the most (ridiculously) fluffy fic I've written in a long time - apologies now for any overdose. _


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Perhaps the world had not quite stopped spinning, because everything from then on happened in a blur, with Yuuri having no concept of how much time had passed.

He knew that Gisela had come into the room at some point, checking his forehead, eyes, general body sensations...

He knew that Wolfram had stood over him, calling him a wimp under his breath but unable to keep a smile from his face.

He knew that Gwendal had come in, not saying much but taking a stuffed toy he hadn't noticed and sitting it back upright from where it had fallen.

"You made it? Its a really cute teddy-bear!"

"Its a cat."

"Oh."

But when Gwendal walked out again, he wasn't frowning.

He knew that Gunter had come in. Or rather, rushed in - more like a white tornado than an actual person. Gunter crept around the bedside with exaggerated softness and shushed everyone (while somehow making the most noise himself), as if someone talking too loudly might instantly make Yuuri ill again.

He knew, most of all, that Conrad did not leave the room while all this activity was going on seemingly at once. Sometimes Conrad was reading (although Yuuri did notice that his eyes didn't move across the page all that much), and sometimes he stared out the window, to all appearances lost in his own thoughts. But more often he just sat, smiling gently in his usual expression, sometimes adding in a quiet comment of his own to the conversation.

It was another day before Yuuri was actually allowed out of bed. Strictly speaking he wasn't really aloud out at all until the following day, but by the evening he couldn't take anymore inactivity. Energetic by nature, he craved fresh air and at least the feeling of walking. This time it was Wolfram who was asleep in the chair next to the bed. The blonde had refused to leave, and nobody had really wanted to argue the point. Yuuri crept from the room without too much trouble, and made his way to one of the various castle balconies.

His legs felt steady enough, and he was sure the air was good for him - he felt strength return with each breath, and although the night was cold, he welcomed the sensation.

By the time he got to his destination and saw Conrad already standing there, it was too late to go back. Conrad must have heard his footsteps, light as they were against the stone.

"Should you be up?"

He hadn't turned around, but Yuuri felt himself flush a little anyway. Once again, caught doing something he shouldn't. And in his pajamas none the less.

"Uh... well, I just wanted the fresh air. I'm sure it won't do any harm, and I'm feeling fine-"

His legs chose that moment to give way on him. It didn't help the embarrassment much, but Yuuri had to admit it felt nice being caught by Conrad... there was a rushed sense of deja vu, but it was gone before Yuuri could place it. Enough that Conrad's arms were warm before he had been steadied against the railing.

"You really should have brought a dressing gown", reproved Conrad gently, and Yuuri knew he wasn't angry.

"Oh, yeah, I didn't want to wake Wolfram up."

There was a companionable silence before a thought struck Yuuri.

"What are _you_ doing up?" he asked. Conrad smiled.

"The same thing as you, I suppose. The air feels good. And the stars are quite beautiful from this balcony."

"Yeah."

Another silence.

"Uh, Conrad?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind telling me... I mean, I have this feeling I dreamed, only I can't remember what of and I have all these other odd feelings and did I say anything in my sleep?" asked Yuuri in a rush. Conrad was quiet before answering.

"You did say a few things... I really don't remember what, though. I have a feeling there were Sand Bears mentioned some time. You did say more than that, but when I was there at least a lot of your sleep talking was incoherent."

"...Oh. I see."

"Is something bothering you, Yuuri?"

"No, not really. Just a feeling, that's all."

"Ah."

"... That is, feelings of dreams, you know. Only I can't remember anything much. I think I fell from somewhere."

"I believe lots of people have that type of dream. I used to dream about falling quite a lot when I was a child, I recall. And then again when... well, a few years after that. In any case, I hear its common enough. Was your dream a scary dream?"

Yuuri tried to think back, but all he got was the vague sensation of air rushing past him, a name he couldn't put with a face or voice, and strong arms-

"I guess so. I can't remember well at all... someone must have caught me. I don't remember anything at all after dreaming that, so I guess I must have woken up soon after."

"Do you know who caught you?"

"No. I wish I did, though, then I could thank them."

"For catching you in your dream?"

Yuuri laughed, unaccountably embarrassed again."Sounds weird, I know. But, you know, its almost like if they hadn't caught me I wouldn't have woken up. I know that might not be true, but it just feels... you know, like it could be."

"I see. Well, if you dreamed about it so vividly, perhaps this person already knows that you're grateful - even if it was only a dream. Because you create your own reality, I think."

"What? Who told you that?"

Conrad looked surprised at the sharp question.

"Someone very special to me. It was quite a while ago now."

"Oh." Yuuri shivered, and Conrad looked at him, instantly the concerned bodyguard.

"Would you like to go back inside, Your Majesty?"

"... Yeah. I think I will. And its Yuuri. You named me."

"I will walk you back then, Yuuri."

"You don't have to."

"I know. Bit I'd like to all the same."

Conrad left him at the bedroom door. "I can hear Wolfram's breathing - he's still asleep. If you go in quietly I don't think he'll wake."

"Yeah. Thank you, Conrad."

Conrad smiled a farewell, bowing slightly before he turned and walked away, back to his own rooms Yuuri supposed.

"Wimp..." Yuuri opened the door and heard the muttered word from Wolfram. As Conrad had guessed, Wolfram didn't wake up as Yuuri got back into bed. The walk must have tired him out, because he didn't remember closing his eyes.

_It was the same place. Exactly the same... only, it wasn't. The cliff was still there, but hadn't he fallen? And yet, he stood at the peak again, only this time the ground felt a little more stable under his feet, and the sky was shot with blue. The sun was warm on his back - a real sun, with real warmth and real light. It felt good, relaxing. _

_"Didn't I let go?" he asked out loud, half-expecting an answer. None came, but he heard footsteps a moment later, and then a hand on his shoulder. The dream began to fade, like water washing it away. Yuuri was not alarmed; it happened very gradually, peacefully, so that piece by piece the world faded. The last thing he knew was the hand on his shoulder, strong and calm. He couldn't turn around. But he didn't have to._

_"Thank you, Conrad."_

**End.**


End file.
